I have a month to go before I begin a short course at the B2/C1 level, and I'm looking for feedback on (and suggestions for) lesson content.

I've taught most of these adults in a disastrous 'Conversation' course and they want to come back for another bash at improving English.

I've agreed to give them 20 hours (10 weeks @ 2 Hrs a week), but want to give them focused and prepared lessons based around a task or something 'interesting'.

The students are all between 40 and 65, live in an East German Town and have a healthy appetite for knowledge on all topics.

So far, in no particular order:

* A lesson based around the effects of Thatcherism on British society (they love this stuff) - lesson could include simple past in form of Bio. details, discussion of major events (as viewed from behind Iron Curtain), attitudes towards social welfare and 'the large state', perhaps obituaries (if Thatcher snuffs it by then) or creating a balanced piece of writing about past events

* A lighter lesson, beginning on the subject of British Beer - why is it warm? Examining our shared culture and histories, perhaps with a task related to furthering European co-operation/international co-operation between nations. What should a European Charter look like?

* Completing official forms - perhaps writing a police report after a theft/car accident (past simple/progressive 'I was walking down Oxford Street when I dropped my…'), or perhaps filling in a complaint form after tardy service somewhere

* Small talk in situation x - the kind of thing to help them when on holiday (any suggestions for situation 'x' welcomed)

* Ordering a product/service (written communication) relevant to their hobby/job/something

* Writing an eBay advert (describing something - could even donate some junk to each student, get each one to write an advert and see if they make any cash from the sale - all proceeds to the end of term party)

Looking for an apartment/house. Using websites to search for a place they like, practicing vocabulary such as bachelor, three bedroom, heat, hydro, etc.You may have trouble finding actual apartments in Germany with English descriptions. Here is a good site I use from Toronto:www.viewit.ca

I think you are on the right track, but I would be sure to focus on the students' needs. Do they want English for travel, business, work, friendship, etc?

• Car accidents (using a child's road mat and toy cars) - reporting using past continuous and past simple (I was driving along king street when I was hit by a lunatic…)

• Description of flats and housing - flat hunting, inluding:- Vocab in ads (gch, en-suite, dbl-bed, etc)- Original segments from a BBC programme on house hunting (youtube) - this took a whoile lesson for a one minute clip - awesome!

• Marketing, adverts, AIDA - examining an eBay advert

• Creating our own eBay advert (we sold our item for $70 and used this to buy drinks for the last lesson!)

• Discussing places to go - creating a holiday guide

• A role play about the rise of new designer drug 'Juicy baek'

• And a meal out for the last lesson.

I'm trying to leave this job, I hope I don't have to run a similar course again, but if so, this one was alright.